The Muslim Law
(Shariah) Council UK
20-22 Creffield Road, Ealing, London, W5 3RP
Tel: +44 (0)20 8992 6636 (ext:111)
Fax: +44(0)20 8993 3946
e-mail:
Opening Times: 11:00am to 1:30pm (Mon - Thurs)
Date:Ref NO:
General Information
Dear Brother/Sister,
Assalamu Alaikum
I refer to your recent inquiry regarding our procedure to secure an Islamic Divorce Certificate (Talaq). In order to begin the proceedings, we need copies of several documents and some relevant information. Please complete the enclosed forms and return them to us.
The Muslim Law (Shariah) Council charges £100.00 for its services before proceedings can begin. No other charges or fees will be made.
This fee is payable through postal order only. Please make them payable to ‘The Muslim College’, which is an umbrella organization of the Shariah Council.
Please note: Our telephone lines are open between Monday and Thursday, between 11.00am and 1.30pm.
Yours sincerely
Moulana Mohammad Shahid Raza
Executive Secretary
The Muslim Law
(Shariah) Council UK
20-22 Creffield Road, Ealing, London, W5 3RP
Tel: +44 (0)20 8992 6636 (ext:111)
Fax: +44(0)20 8993 3946
e-mail:
Opening Times: 11:00am to 1:30pm (Mon - Thurs)
Important - Please Keep This For Your Information
Please Read Carefully Before Proceeding To Apply For An Islamic Divorce
1. If your marriage (Nikah) was carried out outside the United Kingdom, i.e. in Pakistan Egypt… etc and was conducted in accordance with the law of that country, you will be asked by the Shariah Council to initiate Civil Divorce proceedings, so that you can get a Decree Absolute (Civil Divorce) as well. This is a requirement of the law in the UK.
2. If your marriage was registered with the office of the Registrar of Marriages in the United Kingdom or in other European/Western countries, you will require a Civil Divorce.
In all such cases, depending upon the nature of the proceedings, the Shariah Council may not issue an Islamic Divorce to you until the Civil Divorce is pronounced.
Warning
If you withhold or conceal any information regarding this case, or provide us with misleading information, the decisions taken by the Muslim Law (Shariah) Council will become null and void. Any divorce certificate issued to you will not be valid if you have provided false information to the Muslim Law (Shariah) Council.
The Muslim Law
(Shariah) Council UK
20-22 Creffield Road, Ealing, London, W5 3RP
Tel: +44 (0)20 8992 6636 (ext:111)
Fax: +44(0)20 8993 3946
e-mail:
Opening Times: 11:00am to 1:30pm (Mon - Thurs)
CHECKLIST
Please Send Us Copies Of The Following Documents With Your Application Form
1. / Islamic Marriage Certificate (Nikah-Namah)Note: If you do not have this document, please contact the Shariah Council for a “Statutory Declaration” form. You will need to fill it in neatly and fully, and then take it to a Solicitor/Oath Commissioner. After your oath has been registered, sign it and send it to us.
2. / Civil Marriage Registration Certificate (if applicable)
The following documents may be sent to the Shariah Council later on when available from your solicitors, who are acting on you behalf for the Civil Divorce proceedings.
3. / Civil Divorce Petition.
4. / If your husband agreed to this Civil Divorce, or allowed the divorce proceedings to go ahead
undefended, please send us proof of this.
5. / If your husband was informed about the Civil Divorce proceedings by your solicitor or the Court,
please send us proof of this.
6. / A copy of your Decree Absolute (Civil Divorce)
Please Note:
Our telephone lines are open between Monday and Thursday, between 11.00am and 1.30pm
The Muslim Law
(Shariah) Council UK
20-22 Creffield Road, Ealing, London, W5 3RP
Tel: +44 (0)20 8992 6636 (ext:111)
Fax: +44(0)20 8993 3946
e-mail:
Opening Times: 11:00am to 1:30pm (Mon - Thurs)
Islamic Divorce - Our Procedures
Please Sign This Paper And Send It Back To Us With Your Application Form.
1. The applicant has to submit all the required information in full to the Shariah Council, by completing an application form and providing us with copies of the required documents and paying our charges in full.
2. All the completed forms and information received will be checked and processed confidentially as the offices of the Council. If further information is required, the applicant will be asked for that
3. Once all the information has been received, the applicant will be acknowledged with a reference number for the case and a receipt for the payment of the charges.
4. At the same time, the husband (respondent) will be issued with a notice and asked either to divorce the applicant or to show the Council reasons in writing for not so doing.
5. If he writes to the Council and wishes to defend his case or asks for a reconciliation.
a. The applicant will be contacted again and instructed accordingly by the Council
b. Reconciliation can take place only if both the couple agrees to it.
c. Normally at the request of the respondent (husband) the Council allows a reasonable period of time for reconciliation efforts to be made by the husband through his own resources and family contacts.
d. However, if the applicant does not agree to reunite, then such efforts for reconciliation, can only delay the process of an Islamic Divorce for a few months. Eventually the Council, under the rules of Islamic Law, will have to dissolve the Nikah and issue a Divorce Certificate to the applicant.
e. If he offers to divorce the applicant with certain conditions e.g. demands some money by way of khula or demands that Jewelry etc… given to the applicant at the time of the marriage be returned, such an offer will be adjudicated by the Council and a decision will be made accordingly.
f. Conditions like custody of the children, financial claims, or claims on property, are not accepted by the Council, because such matters are outside or our jurisdiction and must be settled in a court of Civil Law.
6. If the respondent does not reply to our first notice in time, then a second notice will be sent to him, giving him a similar opportunity.
7. If we receive no reply to our second notice, a third and final notice will be sent to him.
8. Thirty days after this final notice is sent, the case will be presented to the full board of the Shariah Council at its first meeting after expiry of the notice period, with a recommendation of dissolution of Nikah.
9. The board normally meets every three months. Occasionally, an emergency meeting may be called.
10. Once the board has decided to dissolve the Nikah, an Islamic Divorce may be issued within one week of this decision and posted to the applicant.
11. A copy of this Divorce Certificate is also sent to the respondent.
12. In cases where a Civil Divorce (Decree Absolute) is also required, the Council will not issue an Islamic Divorce until the applicant has received her Decree Absolute in order to avoid any possible conflict between the Law of the land and Islamic Law (Shariah).
13. In cases where respondents do not reply to our notices at all, the Council will ultimately decide in favour or the applicant.
14. The address of the applicant normally appears on the notices sent to the respondent; but if requested to keep it confidential, this is not released.
15. Normally, if both parties are resident in the U.K, the case is decided in about three to six months time. If one of the parties resides abroad, it takes about six months to one year.
16. If the applicant withholds or conceals any information regarding the case, or provides the Council with misleading information, the Islamic Divorce issued by the Council will become null and void.